Were it not for a late-season swoon, the Colorado Avalanche penalty kill was going to finish in the top 10 in the NHL for the first time since 2020-21.
Yielding 10 power-play goals in the final five games left the Avs at No. 12, with a success rate of 79.7% after it was in the 81-83 range for much of the campaign. It was a small step forward instead of a bigger one.
That’s the good news. The bad news? Colorado has a lot of key guys to replace.
There were 18 skaters who played at least 19 minutes on the PK for the Avalanche last season. When the Avs held a special teams-heavy practice Sunday, seven of those 18 were available.
“It’s the nature of the game. You have to have guys come in and fill those spots,” Avs defenseman Josh Manson said. “I think it takes a second to learn our system and the little nuances of it. It’s one thing to know, OK, this is what the system is, and it’s another thing to be able to make the small reads when the game is at its fastest. So I think that will take time.”
Teams don’t use 18 skaters on the penalty kill at one time, but throughout a season guys move in and out of those roles because of injuries, trades and other roster decisions. The main cog, pun intended, that Colorado must replace in 2024-25 is Andrew Cogliano, who led the Avs forwards with nearly 169 minutes of PK ice time.
Beyond just being a staple on the club’s No. 1 forward PK duo, Cogliano was a leader for the unit, on and off the ice. He set the standard.
“I think we have confidence in the guys that we brought in,” Manson said. “There’s a reason that they’re going to be on the PK this year. I think we have guys buying into it. You want guys, guys like (Andrew Cogliano) that are gone now, but they bought into it. They took pride in it. That’s what you want.”
There are others to replace as well. Yakov Trenin essentially slid into Logan O’Connor’s spot after arriving at the trade deadline when the latter needed season-ended hip surgery. Cogliano and either O’Connor or Trenin led the forwards in PK time on ice per game, while the second duo was often Valeri Nichuhskin and Artturi Lehkonen.
Neither of those guys are available right now. Sean Walker also took on a key depth PK role for the defense corps after arriving at the deadline, but both he and Jack Johnson are gone. Other forwards who took a regular spot in the PK rotation when they were in the lineup (Fredrik Olofsson, Zach Parise, Brandon Duhaime) are also no longer with the organization.
So who are the replacements? That’s an easy one to answer on the blue line. Calvin de Haan will replace Walker/Johnson when he’s in the lineup. He could also be higher than fifth on the PK depth chart, which would allow someone like Samuel Girard or Cale Makar to play a little less in that phase of the game.
Up front, it’s a little trickier. O’Connor seems like a lock to be part of the first forward duo. Lehkonen and Nichushkin will become important parts of the rotation, eventually. Miles Wood and Joel Kiviranta both played more than a minute per game shorthanded, and could get a bump early on.
Parker Kelly led Ottawa’s forwards in PK time on ice per game (2:12) last year, so he could be a natural fit next to O’Connor. Avs coach Jared Bednar mentioned Ross Colton and Casey Mittelstadt getting looks as well. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is in camp on a tryout contract, but the veteran center could earn an NHL contract because he’s an asset on the kill, particularly in the faceoff circle.
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The top four guys in shorthanded faceoffs taken from last season are no longer on the roster.
“I think that’s a key point for us, to be able to win some faceoffs and get some clears off the start,” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said. “Our forecheck and our ability to deny teams at the blue line is up there near the top of the league. We trust our skating to be able to defend our blue line and shut plays down.
“The more (PK) reps we can get in practice, in games, etc., it’ll make a difference.”
Footnote: Bednar said he hasn’t ruled Lehkonen out for the season opener Oct. 9 in Las Vegas, and his return date could be close to that. The coach said he is planning to not have the club’s Swiss army knife, but it will be welcome news when he’s cleared to return to practice and take contact after offseason shoulder surgery.
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